FUEL ANGER

…Outrage and calls for fuel price audit as motorists overpaid for petrol on Wednesday

JOHANNESBURG - Some motorists unwittingly paid 6c/litre more per litre of fuel than they should have on Wednesday morning.

Apparently, this was before the Department of Mineral Resources and Energy (DMRE) admitted that it had made a calculation error on the announced 81c increase - saying that it was only meant to increase by 75c.

The department attributed the error to a salary adjustment for service station employees that was already implemented in September's petrol price, but added again in this month's hike.

But the damage was already done for some motorists, who filled up before the error was rectified.

A Johannesburg fuel station owner, who did not want to be named, said they had already started selling petrol at the 81c increase before the correction was announced.

"It was reported during the day, it was confirmed in the afternoon … it is what it is. We started dispensing the fuel, if somebody wants to have their (6c/litre) back, we’ll gladly give it back, they must just bring their slip," she said.

The station owner said that this was the first time an error like this occurred, but not that many motorists were affected since they had filled up before the increase, on Tuesday, so business had been a little quiet.

Other fuel station owners said that they only implemented the corrected price between 10:00 and midday, with motorists paying the wrong price earlier in the morning.

"The error by the DMRE validates the AA’s call that a total review of the fuel price, and an audit of all the process and components which comprise the fuel price, is necessary," the Automobile Association (AA) said in a statement.

"While we appreciate that errors occur, the impact of the fuel price on millions of South Africans cannot be underestimated. This error, in fact, must be the catalyst for such a review."

Following a public outcry on the steep increase, the DMRE said in a statement that the hikes South Africa experienced were similar to other record-breaking increases in non-oil producing countries such as Australia, Canada, New Zealand, Singapore and the UK.

It explained that the increases were due to a decision by cartel Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (Opec) and its partners to not ramp up crude oil production, despite global demand going back to pre-pandemic levels.